2014-2015 Religious Education Handbook
Click HERE for a PDF of this handbook to download or print.
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Dear Parents,
It’s a new school year, which
brings with it countless new beginnings.
I’m excited to begin this new year of Religious Education with you.
Sometimes it’s helpful to
step back and ask why we do what we do.
This helps us focus on what is truly valuable instead of getting caught
up in nonessentials. What, then, is the
reason, or purpose of having a parish Religious Education program? This program exists to assist you as parents
in evangelizing and catechizing your children.
Evangelization is the
proclamation of the Good News that Jesus Christ has died to free us from our
sins and to bring us into a vital relationship with God our Father. Catechesis
is a systematic teaching of the doctrines of our faith revealed by Christ,
entrusted to the apostles, and handed on in His Church.
We evangelize and catechize,
we proclaim and instruct, in order to form disciples. A disciple
is a person who, in every aspect of their lives, is fully committed to
following Christ in a life-transforming way.
Our mission is the mission Christ gave the Church: “Go,
therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20)
At the outset I want to
stress the importance of faith formation.
It’s very easy for Religious Education to become a second tier activity,
competing for a place in our children’s lives along with sports, homework,
friends, family vacations, dentist appointments and a million other
things. The reality is that Religious
Education should take a primary place in all
our lives. Our greatest enemy is, perhaps,
busyness. I urge you now as we begin to
commit to this program as a priority for your entire family.
This means regular attendance
at our weekly classes. Over the weeks
and years, the saving truth of the Gospel is systematically presented to your children. This is to ensure that he or she has a firm
grasp on what it means to be a Catholic.
And of course, Mass attendance is expected weekly, for to be a Catholic
means at its core being a person of the Eucharist.
Being Catholic is a
commitment to follow Christ in His Church.
One way that commitment is concretely seen is in commitment to faith
formation. Please discuss with your
family your willingness to enter into this commitment as disciples of Christ.
Please read through all the enclosed information. You are responsible for the content of this
packet. As the year progresses, please feel free to
contact me with any questions or concerns.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Mike Brummond,
Director of Religious
Education
GENERAL INFORMATION
Twitter: @StJoeLockport
SESSION I for students in grades 1-8 meets from 4:30 PM until
6:00 PM on Tuesday afternoons.
SESSION II for students in grades 1-8 meets from 4:30 PM until
6:00 PM on Wednesday afternoons.
Contact Us:
Mike
Brummond, Director of Religious Education:
815-838-0592
Kathy
Gibbons, Religious Education Secretary
815-838-2112
Fax:
815-838-4795
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday &
Thursday 9:00-4:00
Tuesday & Wednesday
9:00-6:00
TUITION: One Child
$200
Two
Children $290
Three Children $350
- One payment plan due at August Parent Meeting.
- Two Payment plan due Aug. & Nov. 1 with an additional $10 fee
- Four Payment plan
due Aug, Oct. 1st, Nov 1st and Feb. 1st with
an additional $20 fee
In addition to tuition and sacrament fees, families in the Religious Education Program are encouraged to contribute a minimum of $350 per year (July–June) to the parish through Sunday giving. Annually the Parish subsidizes the RE Program about $65,000.
SACRAMENT FEES: First Penance: $20.00 per student
First Eucharist: $20.00 per student
Confirmation: $85.00 per student (one time in 7th grade at Oct 22
parent meeting)
Students
in grades 4-8 are required to have a copy of the New American Bible for class
each week. These can be purchased in the
Religious Education Office for $12.00.
No
child will be excluded from our program due to genuine financial
difficulty. Please contact Mike Brummond
if you need assistance. Discounts are
also available for Catechists, Classroom Aides, Office Aides and Crossing
Guards.
REGISTRATION
Pre-registration for families already in the Religious Education program
begins in the spring of the current school year. These forms must be completed and returned to
the Religious Education office by the first of May.
Because
of ever-increasing enrollment we cannot guarantee your choice of a particular
session. The following criteria will be
used to determine a family’s choice of session until the last opening has been
filled:
a. Date of pre-registration and payment of $50.00
registration fee.
b. All prior fees are paid in full.
To
help us project our needs for catechists, books, and supplies for the coming
year, we ask that families NOT returning in the fall please inform us by returning
their registration form with this information.
New
family pre-registration begins the first week in May.
In
August there will be an INFORMATION
AND FEES DAY at which time pre-registered families pay their fees. No registrations or fees are accepted on the
first day of classes. Only the children
of families who have completed all requirements for St. Joseph Religious
Education Program will be admitted the first day of class. This includes parent attendance at the
Information and Fees Day.
An original baptismal certificate must be
presented at the time of registration.
Certificates for First Confession and First Holy Communion are also
required for children who have received these sacraments. Proof of attendance at another Religious
Education program or
Catholic
school is required for students beyond first grade.
SUNDAY MASS
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless
you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last
day. For by flesh is food indeed, and my
blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me,
and I in him.” (John 6:53-56)
To be Catholic is to be a
person of the Eucharist. A Catholic who
absences him or herself from the Eucharist is a true contradiction in
terms. The Mass is the privileged place
where catechesis happens, where we receive the flesh and blood of Christ, and where
we enter into the mysteries of our Faith as active participants. Weekly Mass attendance is the bare minimum
that the Church asks of Catholics, not a high goal to strive for. Therefore weekly Mass attendance is simply a
given for those enrolled in this program.
As the Catechism of the
Catholic Church says: “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and
confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are
obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused
for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed
by their own pastor. Those who
deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin” (CCC 2181).
We will open and close our
year of Religious Education with Masses for the students. Parents are highly encouraged to join us.
MASS REFLECTION FORMS
Each week a reflection form
will be sent home with each student to assist them in interiorizing the
Mass. The forms are from their text book
series and are age appropriate. If for a
serious reason a student is unable to attend Mass, the student and parents
should look up the Mass readings (found at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/) and fill out the form. Forms are to be turned in at each
Tuesday/Wednesday Religious Education class for discussion.
CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION
“Jesus said to them again,
‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had
said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are
retained.’”
There is perhaps no more powerful experience of the mercy of God than
the Sacrament of Confession. Students
are encouraged to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession with their families on
a regular basis. During the year
individual confessions will be scheduled for grades 2 through 8.
FAMILY COMMUNICATION
The
primary means of communication between the Religious Education office and
families will be regular emails. If you
provided an email at the time of registration, you should have already received
emails from the Religious Education office.
If you did not supply an email address or if you have not received an
email from us, please send your email address to StJosephLockportDRE@gmail.com.
Updated
information, calendars, and forms will be available at http://StJosephLockport.blogspot.com. Please check
this site at least weekly.
Please
read these emails and check the web site regularly to stay up to date and in
touch.
SECURITY AND SAFETY
To prevent a child from being injured by a moving vehicle, the entrance
to the parking lot between Church and the Activity Center is closed during
class time. Catechists are asked to park
in the spaces next to the Church or behind the rectory.
For safety reasons all students are required to enter the school
building at the entrance facing the parking lot between the Church and Activity
Center (Security Door).
Doors to the
building are opened 15 minutes before class time and are locked when the bell
rings for classes to begin. Entrance to
the building may be gained while classes are in session by using the buzzer on
the Security door at the JEFFERSON STREET
entrance. Parents are asked to drop off and pick up their child/ren on 5th
street driving east toward Madison. 5th
Street will be a ONE WAY STREET
at these times.
Upon pickup, NO
CHILD can walk across the street or down the block to meet parents. Everyone must follow the directions of the
Crossing Guard. No parent may pick up their child in the school hall. Teachers will walk all children outside to
meet their parent/guardian.
Please do not disturb catechists while classes are in session. If an emergency arises and a child needs to
be taken from class please go to the Religious Education Office first and SIGN THEM OUT. If a conference is necessary, please arrange
to meet with the Catechist either before or after class by calling the
office in advance.
ATTENDANCE
Absence
from class means an interruption in the systematic teaching of the Catholic
Faith. Class should only be missed for a
very serious reason. Excessive absences
could result in failure to be promoted to the next level. For this reason, each student is permitted
only 3 absences for the year which do not have to be made up. Make-up notices will be sent home for
additional absences. Make-up sessions
will be arranged by the Religious Education Director.
In case of illness or another serious reason a parent MUST CALL or E-MAIL the Religious
Education office to report an absence prior to or on the day of absence. Messages may be left on the answering machine, which operates 24
hours a day. This absence is considered
an EXCUSED ABSENCE.
An
UNEXCUSED ABSENCE is any absence for which no phone call or email has
been made to the Religious Education office on or prior to the day of
absence. Any family who has failed to
report an absence will be called at the beginning of the session. If the family cannot be reached, students
will not be admitted to class the following week until they first report to the
Religious Education office accompanied by a parent.
Any student who has four (4) consecutive UNEXCUSED ABSENCES will be considered withdrawn from the
Program.
Students MAY NOT attend
another session to make up a class.
Awards will be presented to students who have perfect attendance. Any
student who has not missed a full class and has not been tardy is eligible for
a Perfect Attendance Award.
TARDINESS
It is necessary that a student regularly attend classes and is equally
important that a student be on time for class. A student who is tardy must first go to
the Religious Education office before being admitted to class so that they
are not marked absent for the day.
EMERGENCY CLOSINGS
Cancellation of
classes and/or meetings will be made by email and will also be posted on the
website and a recording left on the answering service.
CONDUCT
Good conduct and courteous behavior are expected of each student. Discourtesy to a Catechist or a fellow
student will not be tolerated. Parents
will be notified if a serious disciplinary problem occurs. A student who repeatedly disrupts class will
be sent to the office for the remainder of the class. He or she will be re-admitted to class only
if a parent accompanies him/her to monitor his/her behavior.
NO CELL PHONES IN CLASS – Students should turn off their phones and leave
them in their coats during class. If you
need to contact your student during class, call the RE office to leave a
message for your child.
Gum chewing is not permitted in the school building. For the health and safety of all students, no
food is permitted in the classroom.
It is important in any educational program that students come
prepared. For Religious Education
students this means not only having homework assignments for class but also
remembering to bring textbooks. A
consistent lack of materials will necessitate the purchase of a second set to
be kept in the Religious Education office.
PROGRESS REPORTS
Students receive evaluations twice during the school term. Grades 1-3 will schedule parent/catechist
conferences in January during class time.
Progress reports for all students in grades 4-8 will be sent home. All final progress reports will be mailed to
your home in June provided that all financial obligations for the year and
required make-up sessions have been completed.
FIRST CONFESSION AND FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Following diocesan policy, two complete years of religious education
are required prior to the reception of First Holy Communion. First Holy Communion is usually celebrated in
May of second grade. Children will
celebrate their First Confession prior to their First Communion.
Please note the following
dates for required parent meetings.
Parent meetings will be part informational and part presentation. Parent meetings are all 7:00-8:15 in the
Church.
2nd
grade parents only – “The Sacrament of Confession” – Wednesday, September 24th
1st and 2nd grade parents – “Real Presence and Sacrifice” – Wednesday, February 11th
1st and 2nd grade parents – “Real Presence and Sacrifice” – Wednesday, February 11th
CONFIRMATION
Following diocesan policy,
two complete years of religious education are required prior to the reception
of Confirmation. Confirmation is normally in eighth grade. Please refer to the Confirmation Family
Handbook for full requirements.
Please note the following
dates for required parent meetings.
Parent meetings will be part informational and part presentation. Parent meetings are all 7:00-8:15 in the
Church.
- 7th and 8th grade parents – “Perpetuating Pentecost – The Sacrament of Confirmation” – Wednesday, October 22nd
- 8th grade parents only – “The Catholic Tradition of Prayer” – Wednesday, January 14th
There will also be a Sponsor Workshop for Sponsors of eighth graders
Wednesday, October 8th from 7:00-8:30pm in the School Hall.
Following the
celebration of Confirmation there is a reception with the Bishop. Seventh grade parents are asked to volunteer
their time to set up, serve and clean-up for this event
All RE fees must be paid in full before the reception of Confirmation
and/or First Communion.
ADULT FAITH FORMATION EVENTS AT ST. JOSEPH
You are also invited to join
us for the following adult faith formation events. All sessions will be held on the following
Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30pm in the School Hall.
·
Oct
15: “An Introduction to the Early Church
Fathers”
·
Oct
29, Nov 5, 12, 19: “The Story of Salvation: Getting the ‘Big Picture’ of the
Bible”
·
Dec
3: “May the Lord Accept the Sacrifice at your Hands: The Mass as a Sacrifice”
·
Dec
17: “Meditation: It’s not just for
Buddhists”
·
Jan
7: “Indulgences: A Forgotten Facet of our Faith”
·
Jan
21, 28, Feb 4: “Six Intriguing Aspects of the Liturgy”
·
Feb
25, March 4, 11, 18, 25: “Bible Study:
The Death of our Savior”
PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN
As
mandated by the Diocese of Joliet, all Volunteers
and Employees must undergo a
background check and complete a 3- hour workshop sponsored by the diocese for VIRTUS©
Protecting Gods Children. Upon
completion participants will receive a certificate. A copy of this certificate must be on
file in the St. Joseph Religious Education Office. The workshop location/times can be found on
the diocesan website at www.dioceseofjoliet.com
PRAYER BOOKLETS
On
Information and Fees Day, families with students in grades 1-5 will receive a
booklet containing the required prayers and practices for each year.
Parents are asked to help their child memorize and review these. After each prayer or practice is learned or
reviewed, the booklet is to be signed by the parent and returned to the
catechist who will then listen to the child’s recitation, grade the assignment
for the progress report and then return the booklet to the child’s
parents. Reviewed prayers and practices
will be graded on the first semester progress report. The new prayers and
practices for the current grade level will be graded on the second semester progress
report. A certificate will be given to
each child who completes his/her booklet by the last day of classes.
